Thursday, 5 March 2015

Getting to know Graydon: Clinical Luxury by Nature

Hi everyone! Earlier last week, Blush Pretty, a local beauty studio, invited me to an event I knew I had to attend. As I've said a gazillion times over the past couple months, organic skin care and makeup have been my biggest obsession of late. So when Blush Pretty gave me the opportunity to have a chat with Graydon Moffat of Graydon, a local Toronto-based natural skin care range, I immediately said yes!

When I arrived at the Blush Pretty studio, there was an ultimate combination of goodies on display- sweets and skin care! We were able to get hands-on with the whole Graydon range while nibbling on some delicious (and perfectly adorable) treats.

There were also complimentary cocktails (from which I abstained, as further dissertation work was in store for me that evening), which was a lovely touch! And yes, I could not resist taking a sneaky selfie with the bottles of champagne ;)

Brownies aside, the real treat was that we got to sit down in small groups with Graydon herself to chat about the history behind her brand and the ethos and intentions of each of her products. Arranged in front of us was the entire line of Graydon goodies, which we got to experience during our talk. The scents and textures were really beautiful!

Graydon outlined her multiple passions and career steps that brought her to develop her line of skin care. Among them were a penchant for art and an interest in macrobiotic cooking, both of which are apparent in her current pursuits. She emphasized that Graydon's tagline is "Clinical Luxury by Nature"because it integrates scientifically-proven actives with Canadian-grown organic ingredients, blended together to create elegant formulas that are also a pleasure to use. And with a price range of $10-45, the line is purposefully affordable so that everyone might be able to indulge in the luxury.

Here's a shot of Graydon and I after that chat:

Upon leaving the event, we were each presented with one of Graydon's Discovery Packs (for the "eco chic ingredient junkie"- hey, that's me!), which included 6 mini-sized products to sample. We were also able to snag samples of any other Graydon products that piqued our interest. It was such a lovely gesture and a perfect way to truly experience the brand.

Here's a shot of all the little goodies that I took home! The products that tempted me most were the Face Food Mineral Mist (a copper, zinc, and silver-based toner), the Super Sensitive Skin Stuff (an ultra gentle moisturizer suitable for combination skin like mine), and The Serum (which is jam-packed with berry oils, antioxidants, and omega 3s and 6s). I have been sampling several products over the past week and I have to say that I'm ultra impressed!

Overall, it was a pleasure to chat with Graydon and learn more about her products. I really connected with the sensibilities of the brand, especially:

the use of locally-grown organic ingredients

the inclusion of oils and minerals that are truly like food for your skin

the fact that several products are suitable for both oilier and sensitive complexions

the price point. Wonderfully affordable!

If you have access to Graydon products in your area, I would totally recommend checking them out! As I mentioned, I've been using several of these products regularly over the past week, with great results. I'll post an update and more in-depth reviews of my faves soon!

Thanks to Graydon Moffat for taking the time to chat with us and to Blush Pretty for the invite!

Oh man, I regret not signing up for this event!! I've been eyeing her Green Cream for a while now, but anyways, TO HUSK I GO! I was looking through the photos of the green beauty pop up shop we went to last year and I noticed Graydon's products were there last year! I don't remember if she herself was there, but it's crazy to look back and realise the missed opportunity (for me)!